Dauda Ayodele, a Lagos resident, has accused policemen attached to Makinde Police Station, Oshodi, of assaulting and bruising him on Friday night.

Section 35 (3) of the 1999 Nigerian Constitution, as amended, compels the police to provide citizens with reasons for their arrests in a language they understand. Ayodele had attempted to exercise this right after policemen attached to the station in Mafoloku, Oshodi area of the state, arrested his friend, but he would not return home until the following day.

He told FIJ the policemen beat him, detained him and left him with a bruised lip for questioning them. It took a N3,500 fee to secure his release.

In Nigeria, bail is free, but policemen continue to demand payments to forfeit custody of detainees. Speaking with FIJ, Ayodele said, “On Friday evening, I was with my friends on Saint Paul Street, and at about 11 pm, we all departed, and my friend was driving home through the Makinde Police Station route.

“The police stopped him for searching, and he came down to open the boot of his car. Before getting back to the steering wheel, an officer in mufti removed his car key, and with other officers, they were trying to create a scene with him, so he called me.

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“I went there with two of our friends and asked the policeman on mufti why he removed my friend’s car key after he stopped. He just attacked me immediately, saying I wanted to fight for him. He walked up to me and punched me in the face.

“His name was Olumide, and their team leader was Akeem Kazeem Olanrewaju. This leader came out of the station and joined in beating me up with guns. They were hitting my ankle with guns, and they dragged me to a cell where they locked me, but my friend later bailed me out with N3,000 in the wee hours of Saturday. He also paid N500 at the counter.”

Pictures Ayodele sent to FIJ showed bruises on his body and a bloodied lip.

On Wednesday, FIJ called Benjamin Hundeyin, the public relations officer of the Lagos Police Command, and he said the command was looking into the case.

“The DPO detained the erring policemen in Ayodele’s presence yesterday,” Hundeyin told FIJ. “He invited Ayodele to the station and detained the men he identified, but we are not stopping there. We are transferring them to the headquarters for further action.”

FIJ called Ayodele, and he confirmed the development to us. He said he met Aduroja Akinola, the DPO, on Tuesday.

Ojukwu is a reporter with FIJ in partnership with Report for the World, which matches local newsrooms with talented emerging journalists to report on under-covered issues around the globe.